In this news alert:

VIETNAM – Visa Waiver for Five European Countries Extended for One Year

The Vietnamese government has issued a Resolution extending the visa waiver program for nationals of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom for another year.

How Does the Waiver Work?

The terms of this extension remain unchanged from when the visa waiver was initially introduced in 2015:

The new visa waiver will allow entry and stay in Vietnam of up to 15 days, with no pre-approval;

All purposes of stay are allowed. Out of caution, It is recommended that the visa waiver be sparingly used for business meetings only and not for work;

The interval between the last exit date from Vietnam and the new entry date must be 30 days or more;

Foreign nationals who enter Vietnam on a visa waiver must have a passport that is valid for six months, cannot extend their stay and must exit the country after 15 days;

The law is set to expire on 30 June 2017, at which time the government will consider extending it.

Action Items

Qualifying nationals should consider using the visa waiver for business trips, but should check with a Vietnamese consulate in their home country to determine whether the visa waiver is appropriate in their situation;

Qualifying nationals intending to secure a work permit will still need to enter the country on a business visa sponsored by the Vietnam entity and obtained at an overseas Vietnamese consulate. This will allow them to convert later to long-term temporary residence cards. Visa waivers cannot be converted.